Revolving blackboard



' Patented May 23, I899.

M. W. TUBBS.

REVOLVING BLACK BOARD.

(Application filed Feb. 25, 1898.\

(No Model.)

A TTOYRNE Y8.

W/ TNE SSE S NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN W. TUBES, OF PORTVILLE, NEW YORK.

REVOLVING BLACKBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,615, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed February 25, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN W. TUBES, of Portville, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Revolving Blackboard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to educational a ppliances; and its object is to provide a new and improved revolving blackboard arranged to carry a plurality of flexible blackboards normally wound on rollers, but adapted to be singly'unwound and extended over and fastened to a fixed support and used similarly to an ordinary blackboard, the whole arrangement being simple and durable in construction, very compact, and requiring wall-space for one blackboard only, with the advantage of having the use of several, also permitting of concealing or exposing work on the flexible blackboard at the pleasure of the teacher.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation of the same on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of one of the spools for carrying a flexible blackboard,and Fig. 5 is a reduced end elevation of a modified form of the improvement.

The improved revolving blackboard is mounted on a support A, provided at its upper end with eyes A, adapted to engage hooks B, secured to a wall B or other base. On the support A are secured brackets A formed at their forward ends and on the top with square notches A for receiving the correspondinglyshaped ends 0 of a shaft 0, held against rotation by its square ends 0 fitting into said notches, but adapted to be removed from the brackets by lifting the shaft ends out of the notches. 011 the round portion of the shaft 0, between the brackets A are mounted to $erial No. 671,589. (No model.)

revolve the heads D, rigidly connected with each other by a hub D, so that the said heads rotate in unison, but arenormally held inposition by a spring E, coiled on the shaftO and fastenedat one end thereto, the other end of the spring being secured to the hub D, as is plainly indicated in Fig. ,3.

In each square end 0 of the shaft 0 is formed arecess 0 adapted to be engaged by a pin F, held on an arm F, fitted to the head D, so as to lock the latter' against rotation unless the two arms F are swung outward to carry their pins F out. of engagement with the recesses C in the shaft 0. The headsD are provided with arms D preferably four in number, each formed with a square recess D for receiving the square end G of a shaft G. On each of the shafts G is mounted to rotate loosely a spool H, on which is adapted to wind a flexible blackboard 1, arranged to unwind to extend the flexible blackboard over an inclined or perpendicular board J, attached at the top to the support A and supported from the wall B, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Each flexible blackboard I is provided at its outer free end with a hem containing a metal rod 1 projecting to form a stop on the head D, and a loop I for pulling the blackboard into an extended position over the board J and for fastening the blackboard in position thereon by engaging the loop with a fixed pin J on the board J. Each of the spools H is pressed on by a spring E, similar to the spring E and coiled on the shaft G, one end of said spring being secured to the shaft and the other end to the spool, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3. Now when the spool H is in a lowermost position and the operator pulls on the loop I then the said spool is rotated against the tension of the spring E, and the flexible blackboard I is unwound and passed over the support J and fastened thereto, as previously explained. When the blackboard is in this position, the teacher or pupil can readily write on the extended face of this board, and when it is desired to use another flexible blackboard and to conceal the writing on the one already used then the operator disconnects the loop I from the pin J, and the spring E now rotates the spool H in an opposite direction to wind up the flexible blackboard I.

- The spool H is normally locked against rotation on-the shaft G, and for this purpose I provide arms K, pivoted on the spools and provided with pinsK', adapted to engage recesses G in the corresponding end G of the shaft G. When it is desired to unwind the flexible blackboard I, as described, or to again wind it upon the roller, the arm K is thrown out of engagement with the end G of the shaft G to allow rotation of the spool, as before mentioned. (See Fig. 4.)

In order to hold the shafts G securely in place in their bearings in the arms D I provide each of the arms with a pivoted arm L, adapted to swing in contact with a face of the square end G of the shaft in the upper porin place over the square end G of the shaft 1 G to hold the same in place on the head D.

When it is desired to remove the shaft G and the spool carried thereby, together with the flexible blackboard on the spool, then the operator releases the catch L from the arm L and swings the latterinward to free the square end G of the shaft. The shaft can now be lifted out of the notches D and another shaft, with spool and blackboard, can be placed in position on the heads.

When it is desired to unwind any one of the flexible blackboards I, it is first necessary for the operator to unlock the heads by throwing the arms F out of engagement with the square ends 0 of the shaft 0, and then rotate the heads on the shaft 0 until the spool, with the desired flexible blackboard I, is in a lowermost position. This blackboard is now unwound and passed over the support J and Q locked thereto, as before explained. Now it is evident that when the heads D are rotated, as described, the spring E is wound up, so as to exert a tension against the heads to hold the extended blackboard I in a stretched position on the support J. By the arrangement mentioned the blackboard is not wrinkled, and consequently permits of properly writing any desired matter thereon. The written matter may be washed off the blackboard after each lesson, or the matter may be allowed to remain on the blackboard and the latter returned or wound up on its spool to conceal the writing and preserve the same for future use.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 the drawn out flexible blackboard I is held against the vertically-disposed support J by means of a frame R, pivoted on the brackets A and pressed rearwardly by springs R to clamp the upper portion of the blackboard I out of the way of the unwound flexible blackboard (see dotted lines, Fig. 5) to permit of manipulating the revolving blackboard as above described and for'the purpose mentioned.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A blackboard, provided with a spring pressed frame adapted to engage a flexible blackboard, to press the same against a support and hold the blackboard in position on the support, substantially as shown and de scribed.

2. A revolving blackboard, comprising conineoted heads mounted to turn, a torsion spring connected with the said heads, a plurality of spring-actuated spools mounted to turn on the said heads, flexible blackboards adapted to wind on the said spools, and means for locking the said spools against rotation,

, substantially as shown and described.

3. A revolving blackboard, comprising i brackets,a central shaft carried by said brack- I ets, connected spring-actuated heads mounted to turn on said shaft,a plurality of shafts carried by said heads, spring-actuated spools carried by-said shafts, and a flexible black= 1 board for each spool, and adapted to wind on and unwind from the spools, substantially as 5 shown and described.

' for each spool, and adapted to wind on and unwind from the spools, and means for lock- 1 ing said shafts against rotation, substantially as shown and described.

5. A revolving blackboard, provided with connected heads having square slots, shafts jhaving square ends fitting into said slots,

arms pivoted to the heads and engaging theshaft ends and holding the latter in place in the head-slots, and spring-catches for engaging the arms and holding the same in place, substantially as shown and described. I

6. A revolving blackboard, comprising conjnected heads mounted to turn, a torsionspring connected with the said heads, a plusupport for an extended flexible blackboard g to rest on, and a spring-pressed frame engaging the extended blackboard to hold against 1 the said support, with or without the revolving device, substantially as shown and de- 5 scribed.

7. In a revolving blackboard, the combina- 1 tion with a support having angular notches, 1 of a shaft having its ends shaped to fit in the notches of the support and provided with a frec'ess, a drum or spool fitted to revolve on the shaft, and an arm pivoted to the drum or spool and provided with a pin for engaging ing the blackboard against the support, subthe recess of the shaft, substantially as destantially as described. scribed.

8'. In a revolving blackboard, the combina- 5 tion with a support, a revolving spool, and a Witnesses:

flexible blackboard wound on said spool, of A. N. STEVENS, a pivoted and spring-pressed frame for olamp- H. O. HOLCOMB.

MARTIN W. TUBES. 

